A project that has resulted in the planting of more than 220,000 native trees across 33 forests has become the 50th case study in addressing climate change to be launched on the Local Government and Shires Associations of NSW (LGSA) Climate Change Action Pack website.
The Regenesis project, developed by sister cities, Blacktown City Council in metropolitan Sydney and Liverpool Plains Shire Council in the State’s central west, will offset carbon emissions equivalent to that of 60 homes over the next 40 years.
Regenesis joins 49 other best practice projects on the website ranging from Dubbo City Council’s use of solar lighting at their regional airport to Willoughby Council’s integrated water management system.
According to President of the Local Government Association, Councillor Keith Rhoades, NSW councils have been on the front foot in reducing their carbon footprint and addressing climate change for quite some time.
“NSW councils are undertaking several bold initiatives in response to climate change and these 50 case studies demonstrate how committed NSW Local Government is to playing an important role in finding appropriate solutions,” he said. “Councils are using a range of approaches, from programs that engage residents to energy saving in council buildings, and from planning for heatwaves to planning to go carbon neutral. The Regenesis project is a great example of the positive work councils are doing.
“More than 11,000 residents from Liverpool Plains Shire and Blacktown City were involved in Regenesis. The establishment of 100 hectares of native vegetation is not only storing carbon from the atmosphere, it’s also enhancing biodiversity and improving the environment for local wildlife.”
Councillor Rhoades said that NSW councils were keen to work together and share knowledge of their cutting edge projects on the LGSA website, so that other communities around NSW and across Australia could benefit.
“Like many of the case studies on the LGSA’s Climate Change Action Pack website, there is a toolkit available for Regenesis, so that any council or community interested in adapting the project to their local area can learn how to do so,” he said.”Local Government in NSW is no stranger to the devastating impact extreme weather can have on our communities. We’re being proactive and planning now to help reduce the impact and costs of climate change on our communities.”
Other case studies in the Climate Change Action Pack include Newcastle City Council’s Climate Cam that reports on the entire city’s electricity consumption, andwick Council’s home energy makeovers, and Tweed Shire Council’s landfill project that turns waste to energy and sells it back to the electricity grid.
